Device for measuring the deflections of rails or girders.



No. 790,728. v PATENTED MAY 23, 1905. B. HERMSDORF. DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE DEFLEGTIONS 0F RAILS 0R GIRDERS'.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 5,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

'E. HERMSDORP. DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE DEPLEGTIONS 0P RAILS OR GIRDERSQ APPLICATION FILED 0015,1904.

2 SHEETS SHEBT 2.

wi z eudedx java/2Z0, fizuaidwz/wdorf PJ4 UNrrEn STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT @rrrce.

EWALD HERMSDORF, OF BRUNSWICK, GERMANY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 790,728, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed October 5, 1904. Serial No. 227,295.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EWALD HERMSDORF, engineer, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Brunswick, Duchy of Brunswick, Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for h Ieasuring the Deflections of Rails or Girders, of which the following is a specification.

The devices for measuring the deflections of rails or girders require special means for transmitting the frequently slight deflections, which means have consisted hitherto of lever mechanisms or arrangements based on hydraulic power.

Now this invention has for its object a device for measuring support deflections the means for transmitting which are characterized as compared with known devices by peculiar construction and simplicity.

In the accompanying drawings two forms of construction of this arrangement are shown. v Figure 1 is a side view of the arrangement in repose and Fig. 2 in action, while Fig. 3 is a modified form of construction. Fig. 4 shows another modification of the arrangement in repose.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 substantially consists of an arm 0, pivotal at a point f, which arm is supported on two or more rows of superimposed balls or rollers d and is pressed or loaded on its upper side, for

instance, by the intermediary of a projection 72 by the support or rail the deflections of which are to be noted. The balls or rollers (Z are so arranged that they can be displaced to one side only. A spring-bar c bears laterally against the balls and prevents their unintentional or accidental displacement toward this open side.

If pressure be exerted on the arm 0 by reason of the deflection of the support or rail (4, Fig. 2, this arm 0, pivoting on the point f, presses the upper balls or rollers into the intervals of the lower row, thus causing a prolongation of the row of balls, and thereby a may cause the sounding apparatus to be actuated. Owing to the result of the bending of the rail (6, the bolt engages the arm in and presses it against the contact Z. By this means the circuit m, which has its terminal on two contacts Z and 0, will be closed in a well-known manner and remain so until by cessation of the bending of the rail the bolt 0 sets free the arm 75. As in this form of construction the displacement of the arm 0 does not take place parallel to the ball-floor, as may be seen in Fig. 2, an unequal displacement of the lower balls takes place, and the course of the pin 0 is equal to the sum of these separate unequal displacements.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, however, a uniform displacement of the balls takes place as the arm 0 here moves in guides forming a parallelogram. In this case the course of the pin a is equal to a multiple of the separate displacement of each two adjacent balls.

I declare that what I claim is A device for measuring the deflection of rails or girders, comprising a plurality of superposed rows of displaceable bodies, means for suitably confining said bodies, and a removable member mounted upon said bodies and adapted when actuated to displace said bodies for indicating the deflection of the rail or girder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EWALD HERMSDORF. Witnesses:

WILHELM LEHRKE, GUsrAv FLAOH. 

